Garment press



Dec. 29; 1942.

W. STROBRIDGE GARMENT PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9; 1940 I 3rwentor attorneys w. STROBRIDGE GARMENT PRES 5 Filed Oct. 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 b 7 m M 2 2 r. B m 5 B1 M w 1...! b 2 o 2 0 J 4 mm. .0 B 2 3 l\ w m Fm W O O 7 o 0 1 attorneys Patented Dec. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT omes} 7 2,306,472 GARMENT PRESS William Strobridge, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to United States Hoffman Machinery Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 9, 1940, Serial No. 360,493

4 Claims. (01. s-3c) This invention relates to garment presses of the lever type and particularly to a linkage capable of hand actuation to develop the pressing force. In this linkage the actuating handle has a simple curved closing path and an identical opening path such that the operator merely pulls a single handle down to close the press and lock it under pressure, and pushes the handle-up to unlock and open the press.

The resulting single motion actuation is quick and convenient and the path of the actuating handle is close to and consonant with the path of the head on which the handle is mounted. Consequently the entire force is usefully applied. The operator need not move from his normal position at the front of the press. Foot pedals and latches for operating the press are not needed, with the result that considerable simplification of tructure and reduction of weight are possible.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the press in closed position, part of the supporting framework being broken away to show the actuating linkage.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the press in open position. b

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the press with the parts in the position of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the linkageand 'a portion of the mechanism for adjusting the frame, and spaced apart to receive between them 7 the head lever and the actuating linkage. On the base 6 a table 8 is provided and rising above this table is a pedestal 9 on which a buck ll of known form is mounted.

Extending horizontally between the upward extensions of the frame 6 is a shaft l2 on which is mounted the head lever structure. This comprises two side members l3 spaced apart and provided with bosses I4 which turn on the cross shaft I2. The side members l3 are connected at their front ends by a cross member l5- Connection with the head I6 is made by means of pads I! which are bolted to the head. The head I6 coacts with the buck II in the usual manner and the head and buck may be equipped with heatin means, steaming means, suction means of the vacuum type, and other mechanism not shown in detail but familiar in the press art. Such features are not involved in the design of the lever mechanism here under consideration.

At the extreme rear end the side members [3 are provided with bosses I8 which are aligned and which are connected by across shaft I9; .There is also a cross connection 2| to which are adjustably attached the two counter-balancing springs 22. The lower ends of these springs are attached to the base 6, the connection being indicated at 23 in Figs. 1 and 2.

Journaled on the cross shaft, I9 is the hub 24 of a bell crank whose short, approximately horizontal arm 25 carries a fulcrum pin 26 for one of the main to gle levers. The fulcrum pin 26 is adl'ustable vertically relatively to the head lever by rocking the bell crank. This rocking adjustment is effected by connecting the upper end of the arm 21 of the bell crank to the clevis 28. In this clevis is threaded one end of a tensionrod 29 whose other end is swiveled in the lug 3|. A hand wheel 32 and bevel gears 33 provide means for rotating the rod 29 to screw it into or out of the clevis and thus modify the adjustment of the arm 21 and consequently the position of the fulcrum pin 26 relatively to the head lever.

Mounted on the fulcrum pin 26 is the upper toggle lever 34 which is in the form of a bell crank. The lower end of the lever 34 is connected by hinge pin 35 with the second main toggle lever 36. This in turn is mounted on a cross shaft 3! rigidly supported in the frame 6. The link 36 carries a lug 38 which, asthe press reaches open position, strikes a hydraulic buffer 39 mounted on the frame Band thus limits the opening movement 4| there is a cross frame 44 which stiffens the triangular frame and reinforces it where it supports two aligned trunnions 45, which serve as fulcrum pins.

Journaled on these fulcrum pins are the guide links 43 whose other ends are journaled on aligned fulcrum pins which take the form of trunnions 41 projecting inward from the side members [3 of the head lever. A lug 48 carried on cross frame 44 collides with a buffer 49 carried on the cross member IS on the head lever and thus arrests the motion of the handle 43,

the point of arrest being such that the secondary toggle formed by links &6 and the members 42 will move to or very slightly past dead center and look before motion is arrested. At such time the fulcrum pins or trunnions it? have moved to or slightly past alignment with the fulcrum pins or trunnions All and the pin 4!, as shown in Fig. 1.

To close the press it is necessary simply to draw the handle 43 down. This will move the head into coacting relation with the buck, develop a pressing reaction whose intensity is determined by adjustment of the wheel 32, and lock the press in closed position because thesecondary toggle links 46 move past center. To open the press it is necessary merely to force the handle 43 upward.

Thus the manipulation is extremely simple and, at the same time, the linkage is such as to develop the necessary high pressure. This high pressure arises from the fact that motion of the secondary toggle to locked position, as above described, swings the lever 34 counter-clockwise and brings the pivot connecting the two elements of the primary toggle very close to the straight line connecting the centers of th pivots 26 and 32. A single operating member or handle in a conveniently accessible location serves to open and close the press, and to lock and unlock it, and assures proper sequence of operation without any thought on the part of the operator. The device is inexpensive to construct, light as compared to the foot operated presses common in the prior art, and very attractive from the manipulative standpoint because'of the single throw of the actuating handle .73, both in the opening and in the closing movements of the press.

While one embodiment of the press-has been described in considerable detail, this is intended to be illustrative and not limiting and modifica tions within the scope of the claims are contemplated.

I claim:

l. The combination of a support, a buck car- 2. The combination of a support; a buck carried thereby; a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on said support and extending forward and rearward from such pivot; a head carried by said lever at the forward end thereof and shiftable by motion of the lever into and out of pressing engagement with said buck; a pair of strut toggle links hinged together, one journaled on the support and the other journaled on a member moving with the rear end of said lever, the latter link having a portion extending beyond the last named journal; a tension member hinged to said extendin portion and extending forward along said lever over said head; a handle carried 35/ the forward portion of said tension member; and strut guide links pivoted to said lever and to said tension member and forming therewith a locking toggle.

3. In a garment press, the combination of a support; a buck carried thereby; a lever pivoted on said support; a head carried by said lever into and out of pressing engagement with said buck; a togglelinkage interposed between said lever and a portion of said support, the linkage when approximately straightened serving to hold link and the guide link together forming a sec ondary toggle in which both links swing in arcs generally consonant with each other and with the path of the head-carrying portion of the lever; and a handle mounted on said actuating link.

i. The combination of a support having a buck mounted thereon; a lever pivoted between its ends on said support; a head carried by the forward end of said lever, into and out of pressing engagement with said buck; a toggle linkage interposed between said support and the rear end of'said lever; combined force-multiplying and locking means comprising an actuator member hinged to said toggle linkage and extending therefrom forward along said lever at least to the forward end of the lever, and a relatively short guiding toggle link hinged to said actuating member and to the lever adjacent the head; and

'1 ajhandle carried by said'force' multiplying and with a component of the second toggle linkage.

locking means near the forward end of the actuating member, said handle having a single continuous throw to close the press, develop the pressing force and lock the press.

- WILLIAM STROBRIDGE. 

